The Unspoken Rules in Organic Chemistry

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• Don't assume that a solvent will always be included in examples in your textbook reading or even in a fill-in-the blank question. With very few exceptions, which are beyond the scope of this course, assume that a solvent is involved. But don't worry about including one. 
  • Why this matters: When an organic solvent suddenly appears in a problem but isn't recognized or is unfamiliar, students get very confused. Then they assume something changes some else about the answer. On paper, the solvent makes no difference in your answer or the way you draw the mechanism. Unless you are commanded to do so, you never have to write what the solvent in is intro organic. Unless you eventually draw arrows to or from it, you don't have to include a solvent when you fill in the blank around the reaction arrow no matter how many times you've previously seen the reagent with it.

• Similarly, you generally are not required to include a solvent with the reagents in an answer. (See the S_N2 reaction)